Acquisition expands building consultancy group’s expertise and presence

Align Building Control, an inspection company operating across a variety of construction sectors, has been sold to ICA Group in a deal led by KBS Corporate.

Align has been trading since 2012 and its team of surveyors are based in Heald Green, Manchester.

The company works across the residential, commercial, healthcare, arts, hospitality, leisure, energy and industrial sectors.

Align now joins Cook Brown – another company sold by KBS Corporate – in the Building Control Services division of ICA Group, which was rebranded from Hickton Group in January 2025.

Rotherham-based ICA Group is a multi-disciplinary provider of site inspection and consultancy services, and has acquired Align to strengthen its shared expertise and expand its presence across England and Wales.

ICA’s confirmation of the acquisition states that Align’s reputation: “is built on responsiveness and technical knowledge, with a company culture that complements that of ICA Group”.

Michael Clemence, director and sole shareholder of Align, said: “Really pleased to be joining ICA Group. All of us at Align Building Control look forward to a very exciting future.”

Paul Liptrott, KBS corporate deal executive, advised on the transaction.

He explained: “A lot of interested parties had to ‘park’ the exploration of the deal while the industry underwent some changes.

“They all came back to explore the opportunity simultaneously, and effectively made up for lost time in a short period. This is a rare thing to experience in the sale of a business.

“ICA Group had acquired a business marketed by KBS Corporate previously within this space and explored this opportunity as a way to build upon their existing operations.

“The acquisition allows Mike to work towards his retirement whilst helping to integrate the business within ICA Group.

“Anyone who meets Mike would find themselves fond of him and I personally believe ICA Group offered a great prospect for his exit plans. Obviously this is what we work towards, and this outcome is great to see.

“ICA Group is well established in the industry and this is a win for all involved.”

Liptrott thanked KBS Corporate colleague Daniel Calderbank (Document Writer) for the high-quality marketing materials produced to highlight the opportunity, along with Hentons, who oversaw the legal side of the transaction.